Residents in the Angus village of Muirdrum say they have been left “abandoned” by bus firm Stagecoach’s latest timetable shake-up.
A raft of changes to local services has just been introduced across the county.
Stagecoach says they are a response to community feedback and include improvements to the route between Arbroath and Ninewells Hospital.
However, Muirdrum now has just two early morning buses from Monday to Saturday.
The 73C service stops in the village at 6.34am and 7.27am.
Locals face a 12-hour wait to return just a couple of miles for drop-offs at 6.54pm or 7.49pm.
But there are five Sunday buses to and from Carnoustie or Dundee in the new timetable.
Those leave Muirdrum at 8.35am, 10.35am,12.35pm, 2.35pm and 4.35pm.
Muirdrum changes do not suit elderly or vulnerable
Resident Chris MacDonald branded the changes “bonkers”.
“Stagecoach is abandoning older, vulnerable and disabled residents, leaving them without any means to get into Carnoustie for shopping, medical appointments, supporting the local economy, or socialising,” he said.
“My father-in-law, who has MS and uses a wheelchair, and my mother-in-law, were able to take an eight-minute bus ride into Carnoustie and return after a couple of hours.
“They now have two options.
“Get the 7.27am bus into Carnoustie, wait over an hour for anywhere to open, get his hair cut, go to the doctors, or pop to a cafe for a cup of tea, then stand at the bus stop until 6.45pm to get the bus back.
“And as ridiculous as that is, it’s not even possible as my father-in-law’s carers don’t come in until 8.30am to get him up and dressed.”
He said the other alternative is for people to go to the bus stop on the A92 dual carriageway and get the X7 service to Arbroath, then a bus back to Carnoustie.
It would mean a journey of around an hour each way.
“That’s just not practical for people with mobility problems,” added Chris.
“Where I struggle to see any logic is that there is a better schedule on a Sunday when doctors, dentists, pharmacies, butchers and barbers are all closed.
“This change will not only affect the elderly but also young people who rely on the bus service to get home from after-school clubs, supported study, and spending time with friends.
“We also have farm workers who use the service, again to use the local amenities within Carnoustie.”
Stagecoach response to timetable changes
A spokesperson for Stagecoach said: “We continually review customer, staff and local authority feedback to ensure our services meet the needs of the communities we serve.
“We also monitor the number of customers travelling and journeys taken, and based on this, we’ve recently made some updates to our bus services in Angus, to improve their reliability and better serve our passengers.
“Regarding the changes around Muirdrum, we’ve adjusted the service 73 timetable to focus on peak times, when the majority of customers travel to and from the village. This helps ensure that we can provide a more reliable and efficient service for all.
“Additionally, service 72 stops at Muirdrum bypass up to every 30 minutes, Monday to Saturday, and service X7, up to every hour, 7 days a week.
“As service 72 doesn’t run on Sundays, we’ve added extra journeys to and from Muirdrum on Service 73B.
“We are committed to providing the best possible service and appreciate the continued support and feedback from our customers.”
Stagecoach respond to local councillor
Carnoustie councillor David Cheape raised the issue after complaints from Muirdrum and Barry.
He said: “Unfortunately, Angus Council only has a real say in bus routes that are viewed by Stagecoach as non-commercial and require subsidisation by the council.
He told Mr MacDonald: “We asked Stagecoach to reconsider the proposed changes that would affect Muirdrum and Barry, but they refused on the basis these are commercial route changes and the operator is not required to provide any further feedback.
“Consequently we have no power to enforce further change.”
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